Ezio's Family
by Froslaciem
Summary: The many repressed memories of Ezio Auditore seem to resurface through a trigger. Desmond notices the difference between the memories of Ezio's family, and those of Cristina. As the past of Ezio is traced back to childhood, the Auditore execution leaves more of an impact on Desmond. [series of one shots/drabbles focusing on Ezio/Ezio's family]


It's unnecessary.

The advertisement of the heavy sheathe had Ezio retreating into his mind out of boredom. A one-handed weapon could deal just fine as would the crossbow and hidden gun. Why this merchant continuously prattled on about the pros of such a hull was unknown to him. But nonetheless, his concern for this _fantastica merce _had not improved with each word that rolled off the other man's tongue.

"I appreciate the offer," Ezio says, a slight raise of hand to signal an arrest. "But I'm only here for repairs." _Perhaps another time._

Light dejection flitters across the merchant's face (_Ezio has a feeling this "heavy sheathe" had not been selling well which, to say the least, was surprising considering some of his apprentices wielded large swords or axes)_. He expresses understanding through a nod, and takes the offered greave. "_Un momento, signore,_" he says, averting attention to the piece of metal.

Armor repairs normally didn't take long, but the greave had suffered significant damage through his most recent assassination, so Ezio took to surveying the crowd. Tiber Island was devoid of Borgia guards, of thieves and those who committed wrongdoing. It was a place where Ezio could not only assign contracts to the apprentices face-to-face, but a place where he could relax, free of strained notoriety.

"You'll have to try harder, _tartaruga!_"

"No fair, _fratello_! You're legs are longer!"

Attached to the voices were two young boys, the former speaker around the age of eleven while the other was two years younger. Nothing occupied the older brother's hand, so Ezio assumed the game was of 'cat-and-mouse'. Yet the way the youngest pursued the unyielding, determined spirit... It came as a harsh reminder, a sting that began to slowly chew away at one of the many barriers of repressed memories.

Short, cropped dark hair sat atop craniums, each boy donning attire that spoke of higher class. They weaved through crowds swiftly, dodging pedestrians left and right. Somehow, they wind up closer to the blacksmith's shop, the youngest unintentionally bumping into Ezio as his older brother makes a sharp turn back into the crowd.

"_Mi scusi, signore!_" the apology rushes out, cuts off slightly as he continues his chase. "_Aspettare!"_

While the physical contact had pushed him back to consciousness, it didn't take long for him to fall back into the confines of his mind. And at that moment, Ezio didn't care about the armor or any upcoming contracts that waited in his hideout. The young boys, running freely... the brief apology... The impact of these factors was enough to let an inkling of his past life, a life that he no longer had a part in...

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Alright, break time, Desmond..."

Lids reveal dark hues, and the back of Animus 2.0 bites through the white hoodie. Though he wants to get up and stretch, he can't find it in himself. Why had they taken him out right as another memory had been initiated? Concerned, he voices this to Lucy, who glances up from the technology positioned before her.

"You've been in the Animus for a while. It's not safe to stay in there too long, and judging by Ezio's trigger, this memory may take longer than his memories of Cristina." She explains, eyes scanning the screen (of what contents it holds, Desmond is unsure). But he does find his voice to respond.

"So basically this is another look into the past? A flashback?"

"That's right," Rebecca answers instead. "The last time you saw Ezio experience some fragment with his brothers and father was at the Palazzo Auditore. Even then, those were just apparitions, and nothing was surrounding to trigger a sequence like the one you were about to experience. This time, you'll be able to look into Ezio's life prior to the events of his squabble with Vieri."

Desmond leans back, sighing out a breath he was unaware of holding. He wonders if there is a way to avoid the memory block, go back to it at a later time, but something prevents him from posing that question. "So how young are we talking here?"

"About... Eleven years old?" Rebecca estimates, brows knitting in concentration.

"Oh really?" Shaun chips in, and Desmond knows there's a snarky remark bubbling to the surface. "Don't you think that's a tad young for Desmond to handle? After all, his previous sequence in one of the 'Cristina Memories' lead to brief desynchronization. If he can't handle Ezio at sixteen, what makes you think he can take on the memories of a child?"

Defending himself, Desmond quips, "Hey, I just underestimated Cristina's alertness, that's all. I still managed to knock the hell out of Vieri."

"_You_? I'm sorry, are these not Ezio's memories?"

"Cut it out." Lucy glares at the two, chiding them as if they themselves were at the mere age of eleven. "You two are wasting time, and we don't know how close Abstergo is. Desmond, get out of the Animus, walk around a bit, and get back in; we need to clear these so we can focus back on the sixth sequence." (Normally, it was Lucy who played the role as mediator, stepping in between whenever childish banter rose among the group. How she did it, Desmond was unsure, but he gave it to her: She had quite the patience sometimes.)

Desmond raises his hands in defense. "Okay, okay, getting out." He snatches his communicator lying adjacent to the machine. "I'll be back shortly," he assures, already mounting the steps leading to the first floor of the Villa Auditore.

"Be back before sunrise."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

He's not gone long, and soon, he's situated back in the red seat. With head against headrest, he closes his eyes. "Ready." Desmond says.

"Okay," Rebecca acknowledges this with a nod. "Remember this memory is a bit longer than the usual repressed memories. If it's necessary, you can leave whenever you want, but keep in mind there's a high chance of starting the memory from the beginning."

Before Desmond can give any sign that he's aware of such a fact, he's plunged back into the Animus.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Firenze is full, plentiful, and _alive._

The crisp air of afternoon's embrace permeates the air, rides the zephyrs rolling across the city in drowsy waves. Clouds spread across the sky like white paint smeared on light blue canvas, and the sun peeks around the corners of billows (People talk amiably one another – good weather affects mannerism, it seems.). Among the tranquility of Firenze lies the looming tower of Palazzo Auditore. Though the outside remains calm and gentle, the inside tells a different story, one more hectic, yet not violent in any matter...

"_Mother!_" a young, feminine voice shrieks. "Come quickly! It's so nasty! Get rid of it! Get rid of it!"

Maria Auditore, at the time, young and still elegant, hurries to the source of the voice. Widened eyes lock onto Claudia's shaken form and frightened eyes. Her gaze follows Claudia's finger, which points to a rather large arachnid stagnant in the center of the room. Now Maria did not like such varmints, and as such, felt they were to be either removed from the house, or killed. But a spider this large? Surely they would need a mallet to rid it of Claudia's room.

Handfuls of seconds pass, and yet the body does not move, not even when Maria raps lightly on the door frame. The vibrations are enough to alert the spider, but it remains statuesque. Then, a frown creases Maria's face and she approaches the lying creature. When it refuses to move, she kneels down and picks it up. As fingers close around the rubber abdomen, she rises, the toy dangling by a leg.

Claudia lets out a startled cry and pushes herself further into the corner. "Keep it away, mother! Kill it!"

"Do not worry, Claudia," Maria says calmly, a disapproving look fixated on the immobile "vermin". "It won't harm you."

The young Auditore breathes heavily and instantly realizes that it's a _toy_. A prank left by another to scare her for sick entertainment. At once, she breaks into tears of embarrassment and post-fright, youth taking its toll in a rather normal way. She knows the culprit, and through muffled hands she wails:

"_Ezio_!"

Maria knows that her middle son is indeed the one who planted such a trick. In fact, it is Ezio who causes the most ruckuses around the house whether it be through tormenting his sister with fake toys, or outright refusing to do his share of chores, instead placing the responsibility on his older brother (or Claudia herself).

"It's alright, Claudia," Maria placates, taking her younger daughter in her arms. Personally, such a prank was rather amusing if inflicted on another person, but seeing her daughter in tears was not something she wanted to see. "It's gone."

The consoling did not stretch for long, so, with Claudia, Maria had turned her attention towards little Petruccio, who was not allowed to leave the vicinity of an elder's gaze (despite the age of seven). Twice had Claudia asked if Maria was going to talk with Ezio, all the while plotting a devious plan to avenge herself and her pride. Maria said she would have a word with Claudia's older brother, and left it at that.

Ezio's presence was not in the Palazzo Auditore. Instead, he was roaming the wide streets of Firenze, searching the crowd for his older brother, Federico Auditore. A little challenge had sparked between both boys: One would run off and hide, and the other would give pursuit. With misfortunate, Ezio happened to be the one out breaking a sweat in order to find Federico. Not that he was necessarily _bothered _by this; he craved wild activity anyway.

Twice or thrice a time had he knocked into someone, a _scusi _passing lips before he continued onwards. Most people did not mind the rashness, but those carrying delicacies were less sympathetic, and they scolded the young Auditore for his impoliteness. Alas, words fell on deaf ears.

No sooner had Ezio found himself at a standpoint, surveying a wider section of Firenze surrounded by proud buildings. A fountain rested in the centre of the square, and at the corners of the open space were merchants and, of course, more people. While flashing gaze back and forth, he chanced upon a lone hay stack sleeping comfortably in a wagon. A chance lanced through his mind and he charged over without a second thought.

"I've found you, _fratello_!" And with that, he dove into the mess of straw. Seconds ticked by and he emerged, light yellow strips clinging to hair and his shirt. Ezio's assumption had been wrong, and, grumpily, he clambered out, brushing at the remaining hay.

A seed of frustration blossomed in his stomach. Federico _promised _he wouldn't take to the rooftops – '_baby brother still has much to learn, so I will go easy on you_'. And Ezio was quite sure that Federico couldn't pick out such a hiding spot on the ground, among such pedestrians.

Where his feet took him next, he was unsure, but Ezio knew the city of Firenze like the back of his hand. His fear of getting lost was so far from his mind that it didn't faze him. Instead, he bravely took on the linings of alley ways, poking his head in to secluded, cut off sections of buildings. Yet his efforts had proven fruitless, so he slumped down next to a stack of crates. He wracked is brain, trying to remember the parts of Firenze that were off limits in this little activity.

Mapping out the permitted areas, an idea had sprung to mind, and he stood, head turning towards the other end of the alley. Federico _might _have snuck back to the Palazzo Auditore...

So that was just what he did – Ezio returned home.

Little trouble followed him to the front door of the house for he was in no rush now, having spent the majority of his energy flitting about. He pushed open without a knock and was immediately confronted by a rather displeased Maria Auditore.

"_Buongiorno, mia madre_," he greets, a grin slipping on features. "_Come stai_?"

She does not respond verbally, instead holds up a limp, black (fake) arachnid. At once, the memory of placing the toy in Claudia's room came to him. He doesn't see what the harm was in pulling a prank, but apparently, his mother failed to see the humor. As did Claudia, who stands in the corner adjacent to Petruccio, arms folded and face twisted in a glare and pout.

"Oh, you've found it!" he exclaims. "I could've sworn I left it on the _cassettone_ last night." Ezio looks past Maria to Claudia. "_Mia sorella_, you could've told me if you wanted to play with the spider. I would've gladly lent it to you."

Claudia stamps her foot, hands curling into fists. "_Tu bugiardo! _You put that _thing _in my room! I don't like disgusting things unlike _you_!"

Before the siblings could have an all out verbal fight, Maria steps in. "Ezio, this is the _third time _this week. Might I ask what is going on between you two?" She moves aside to allow Ezio entrance, following this by closing the door.

"It is nothing, mother," Ezio says. "I was just giving Claudia something from the outside world since she prefers to hole herself in her room."

"I'm _not _a boy! I don't go around like you and Federico causing trouble!" Claudia protests.

"Did someone call me?" A new voice enters the ensemble, and Federico peeks around the corner, smiling from ear to ear. At once, Ezio forgets his quarrel with Claudia and turns on his brother, pointing an accusing finger.

"_Imbecile_! You cheated! Hiding at our home was off limits!"

Federico feigned hurt. "I said no such thing. Little brother must've been imagining things, much like he imagines getting a girl."

"_Stai zitto!_" Ezio yells, darting forward only to be held back by Maria. He watches in defeat as Federico bounds away, falling back into the depths of the house. "He tricked me..." It's a mumble, but Maria notices.

"Much like you have tricked your sister?"

"Mother."

"You should punish him for what he's done!" Claudia chips in, her grudge of three days unrelenting. "Keep him inside and make him read or something!"

Ezio gives her a look. "You should make her go outside." He says coolly before turning back to Claudia. "Or maybe not since she'll get upset over a tear in her skirt."

Claudia's mouth drops. "_Mother!_" she cries indignantly.

"Both of you _stop it_." Maria snaps, and they both fall under command. "Go to your rooms; I'll speak to you both one-on-one. And I don't want to hear a word." She adds the last part rather swiftly, and watches Ezio and Claudia both stomp off to their room. As soon as they're out of her line of sight, it starts again.

"Thanks a lot, _idiota_..." Claudia mumbles under her breath. "I hope you have to stay in the house for a _month_ doing nothing but chores and taking care of Petruccio! You deserve it!"

"That's your job, not mine."

"Don't talk to me! Your voice- It is _fastidioso_!"

"Hey! _Fottiti!_"

"_Ezio Auditore!"_

And that day, Ezio learnt not to use words he didn't understand the meaning of. The consequences for uttering such vocabulary at his sister did not go unpunished. And all the while, Claudia calmed down - eventually sucking up to Maria for her pride had been avenged.

Later that night, Ezio had retired to his room, wanting to be alone after the reprimanding from Maria, and eventually Giovanni when he returned home. He assumed Federico knew better than to speak to him for not once had his elder brother swung by. For the next few days, Ezio had been placed on restriction (though he was proud to admit that Claudia didn't get her free pass and she did receive a talk as well). He didn't _mind _that much, but it was still a limit on his own time.

The ticking of each individual second rang in his ears, which was soon accompanied by the unfiltered breeze from his window. Soon followed was a faint whistle, which grasped his attention immediately. He found himself no longer on the bed, but by the window, looking down at the quiet streets of Firenze. It did not take a second thought before he swung his foot over the windowsill, placing it atop a slender tier.

The night air was cool, but nowhere near frigid. It proved not to be a distraction for a bit of a 'night climb'.

Though Ezio had scaled a few buildings in the past, he refrained from doing so at night, for Federico had said it was a dangerous thing. Yet his older brother seemed to have no problem running around rooftops at night...

"_When you're older, and able to defend yourself like me, you can go wherever you want."_

"_Oh yeah? And who put you in charge?"_

Solid stone was rough on bare fingers, but he didn't seem to mind as he continued his way up. Through his times with Federico, he learnt a few techniques to keep from falling back, fighting against gravity as the older Auditore once coined. This put more strain on the upper body, but once Ezio was moderately used to the action, it proved to be more support than a burden.

A light _clap _is heard when he reaches the roof, shoes smacking against the tiles. While the streets were usually quiet around the Palazzo Auditore, a few lone pedestrians strolled by. Yet as he surveyed the people below him, he couldn't help but notice something unusual about his vision...

If he focused hard enough, there would always be one individual who stood out among the rest. It was if he were looking through a lens, and that one person would just light up. He tried explaining this to Federico, who brushed the idea aside, telling him that he just needed sleep. But Ezio refused to believe that it was an issue easily resolved by an extra hour of shut-eye...

He thought of bringing up the vision to his father, but it always seemed to be a personal subject, so he remained quiet.

Basking in the night under clear, dark sky, someone finally entered Ezio's line of sight. And this time, they were _outlined _in a rather vehement aura of some sort. Ezio's eyes narrow in concentration, and he clambered to a lower tier. Briefly do lids drop down in two swift blinks, trying to clear away the outline for a better view, so he would be able to identify the stranger approaching his house.

The vision does die down slightly, he is able to make out a rather large figure. Not well built, but rather chubby with a fat face – a man donned in dark robes and a bizarre cap of some sort. Ezio hears the sound of knuckles on the door, a rapping of two beats.

A creak, permitting entrance follows shortly by voices.

"Giovanni," the voice belonged to the stranger. "We have important matters to discuss. It's—"

"Not here," Ezio's father quips. Silence shortly follows, but it is broken. "Come, this way."

Ezio hears the closing of the door and no later does he see his father and the other man make their way from the Palazzo Auditore. Deep in the pit of his stomach, Ezio feels he should give pursuit – he has a bad feeling about that man...

"Ezio? What are you doing hanging there?"

The voice belongs to Federico, who is staring at his younger brother with a questioning look. Though if Ezio saw Federico hanging from a ledge just like he was right now, surely there would be some questions to be asked.

Quietly, Ezio scrambles back to the warmth of his own room, Federico moving aside to give the other much needed room. "Who is father with?" Ezio asks, responding with a question of his own.

"Signore Alberti," Federico responds simply, throwing himself on Ezio's bed, arms pillowing head. "He's a family friend." A shrug cuts between his response. "Though I've never spoken with him before. Whenever he arrives, he never stays for long, and either father dismisses himself, or they leave together. Usually when he returns, Alberti is nowhere to be seen."

Ezio allows this to sink in. The new piece of information sounded rather suspicious, and topped with the first image he received of Alberti was not the least comforting. Should he confront his mother about this? His father? Surely Federico would brush it aside... so he thinks. Both Claudia and Petruccio are too young to understand, leaving Federico the only one he could confide in close to his age. Realization dawns on him through his older brother's voice. Ezio returns to the present.

"I wouldn't worry about it, _fratello_." Federico assures. "Now, onto more important matters..."

All it takes is a brief mention of Vieri de'Pazzi's name and Ezio is immediately engaged. When the Auditore brothers met with Francesco de'Pazzi's son, there was instant hostility between them. Through the constant cursing of the Auditore family name that flew out of Vieri's foul mouth, or perhaps his snobbish attitude that created such malice was unknown. Perhaps it was a bit of both...

One time, they had tried to talk to Claudia about Vieri, but she simply chided them for getting into pointless conflict. She fell under the belief that Giovanni could handle the issue just as well as Maria. Ezio never spoke of Vieri to her again.

"What'd you do to our little _sorella?_" Federico asks as the talk of Vieri begins to die down.

Ezio shrugs. "Nothing special. I just left her a little gift."

"And that's how you got into trouble?"

He pauses and gives Federico a look. "No, I was punished for repeating something _you _said." At the slight glimmer in Federico's eyes, his interest piqued, Ezio gives him the satisfaction. "_Fottiti. _Mother wonders where I heard such a thing, and I wonder where _you _heard it from- hey! What's so funny?"

"You!" Federico coughs out between laughter. "Oh, Ezio... I thought I taught you better than to use such foul language." He disregards the scowl and continues drowning in his own humor. At the request of the word's definition, Federico shakes his head. "_Fratello_, you are too young to understand that, and it has such a _naughty _connotation. Do you have something that you want to talk about regarding our young sister?"

Ezio's face heats up in embarrassment. "_Taci! _What does it mean? Tell me!"

"No! That would ruin all the fun. Now if you could, repeat after me: _Puttan-_"

The younger Auditore lunges at his older brother with a cry, screaming "_Bastardo_! You _wanted _that to happen!" If possible, the curse from Ezio sparks even more laughter, adding more fuel to Ezio's initial anger. He doesn't hit Federico _hard_, so to speak, but he puts in enough strength to get the message across that he's quite pissed.

A loud bang emits from the other side of the door. "Ezio! Federico! I'm trying to sleep – be quiet!" Claudia shouts. Without waiting for a response, she huffs and stomps back to her room.

Both boys freeze, but Ezio gives Federico a good punch in the shoulder when the latter snickers at the absurdity of Ezio's bad luck.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

When Desmond comes to, he feels like his head has split open. He should've expected Ezio to be quiet the troublemaker after viewing his fights with Vieri and stuck-up attitude. Though underneath the sibling bickering, he realizes that there is something key from the repressed memory: Ezio's eagle vision. The only thing puzzling was Uberto Alberti; surely Ezio would've remembered the man in his future years...

"So... how exactly did that help?" Desmond finally asks, sitting upright in the Animus.

"The more memories uncovered, the better." Lucy responds, but he can tell she's a bit confused as well.

"I'm not sure if you remember," Rebecca butts in. "But there is a gap in Ezio's timeline that I haven't been able to trace back. Maybe these memories link up to the disappearance?" The reference points to an unidentifiable part in sequences where Ezio seemed to have vanished off the face of the earth. Even the Animus 2.0 couldn't pinpoint his exact location.

"Um, no, I'm afraid not, Rebecca," Shaun looks up from his work. "That year was 1506, where Ezio discovered an unknown artifact. That is where the memory gap is, not here. Perhaps these little childhood banters are more for Desmond's entertainment. After all, his attention span parallels that of a squirrel."

Desmond ignores the jibe. "So should we even bother to focus on these memories?" he asks Lucy.

"It wouldn't hurt," she responds. "Much like Ezio's memories of Cristina, they seem to be optional, but if you can reach a complete synchronization, there may be better results. So it might not be a bad idea to look into his childhood or earlier years. To avoid this, it may be best to steer clear of anyone that reassembles Ezio's brothers – it's a trigger. Though like your journey through Cristina's memories, it seems you can leave whenever you choose. But, as Rebecca said earlier, you may have to start from the beginning of that memory if you decide to change your mind after leaving the memory block."

Rebecca leans back in her seat. "Ezio's sure got a handful of repressed memories."

Desmond nods in agreement, mumbling "yeah", but his mind is elsewhere.

"Well, do you want to take a break, or hop back in?"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**author note: **_So this has definitely been filtering through my mind a lot, and this first chapter turned out to be extremely longer than I thought. I'm debating whether to switch back to Desmond and company, or just go straight through Ezio's perspective. Suggestions are deeply appreciated. I apologize if the writing did get choppy towards the end; it has been a few months since I've written something as long as this._

_Anyway, thank you for reading, and leaving feedback is highly recommended ;D but not necessary._

_Au revoir, mon public!_


End file.
